Quicklee’s has opened three level three DC Fast Charge charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs), at its Batavia, N.Y., Belmont, N.Y., and Avon, N.Y., travel center locations with aid from the Power Management Co. of Victor, N.Y. The charging stations were manufactured by Chargepoint, one of the largest EV charging and open charging network providers in the industry.
“As a community-focused organization, we have to pay attention to and be prepared to help address the needs of our customers and the communities we serve,” said Ken Perelli, Quicklee’s vice president and chief operating officer. “Electric vehicles are growing in demand, and our customers, as well as travelers passing through, need and want convenient places to stop and charge up.”
Quicklee’s and Power Management identified which locations would be ideal for the EV charging infrastructure. Power Management provided Quicklee’s a turnkey solution on the project including design, installation, incentive coordination and commissioning services.
“We are proud to partner with Quicklee’s on their venture to offer electric vehicle fueling across their portfolio of convenience stores and fueling stations,” stated Michael J. Hedges, Quicklee’s energy advisor and vice president of sales at Power Management Co. “Quicklee’s put forth considerable time, effort and financial resources to start building out EV charging infrastructure for the benefit of the communities they are a part of.”
The new charging stations are part of a network of over 200,000 charging ports globally. The ChargePoint units deployed can offer up to 125 kilowatts charging capacity and a majority charge to vehicles within 20 to 30 minutes depending on the make and model of the electric vehicle. The chargers are app driven, making planning and payment easy for travelers.
“Range anxiety or worry stemming from how long your charge will last is a real concern for many EV owners,” said Hedges. “Power Management commends Quicklee’s in their dedication to serve the under-developed EV infrastructure market and doing their part to improve convenience for EV drivers on main thoroughfares in New York State.”
“We are one of the first retail operators in the Upstate N.Y. area to really start focusing on making charging easier for those traveling through,” added Perelli. “By investing now, we are helping to eliminate concerns, while also investing in the area we love by building out an EV infrastructure that will help benefit it for years to come.”
Quicklee’s leadership team continues to evaluate locations for new chargers, with possible destinations throughout their service territory from Buffalo, N.Y., to Syracuse, N.Y. Tesla charging adapters will be available at locations with a charging station soon.
Through its partnership with Power Management, Quicklee’s is evaluating the energy needs of electric power commercial fleets and ways to integrate future faster charging technologies.
Quicklee’s Convenience Stores have been family owned and operated since 1995. Under the leadership of Ken Perelli, Quicklee’s remains focused on expansion and offering its brand of fast, clean, friendly service to each and every new community it serves. In 2017 Quicklee’s expanded its business model to include travel center locations, and in 2018 it launched the Go Local program, which provided sales, marketing and in-store placement support to local food manufacturers.